Ownership of small dogs on the rise

With sales
reaching US$73 billion in 2014, the US pet products and services market is
continuing its upward trajectory on the strength of several important industry
trends. According to US Pet Market Outlook, 2014-2015,
a report by market research firm Packaged Facts, the trends include, but are not limited to:

An uptick in
dog- and cat-owning US households

An aging pet
population and obesity among pets

The purchase
of pet products online grew 38% in 2014 with a particular boost to pet
medications

The
percentage of households owning any pet has increased slightly over the past
few years, according to Packaged Facts. Today, 45 million US households own
dogs, and 30 million households own cats. While the US dog population is
growing, the size of the animals is smaller. Packaged Facts' Pet Owner Survey
indicates that a higher percentage of US households have small dogs (under 25
pounds) than medium dogs (25-40 pounds) or large dogs (40+ pounds), with the
figures at 52%, 32% and 42%, respectively. The percentage of pet owners with
small and large dogs increased slightly, while those with medium dogs held
steady.

Packaged
Facts expects the shift to smaller dogs to continue in the years ahead, with
the aging human population as a key driver. Further, the shift to smaller dogs could
have numerous ramifications for the US pet market. Since smaller dogs eat less,
petfood marketers may find it harder to increase volume sales. At the same
time, size- and breed-specific foods could make up for that slack.

Approximately
45% of dog owners have a dog age seven or older, while 46% of cat owners have a
cat in that oldest age bracket, according to the Packaged Facts Pet Owner
Survey. The growing population of older pets means more companion animals are
suffering from age-related conditions including joint, coronary, cognitive and
immune-system-related, as well as diabetes and cancer. Senior-targeted pet
products cover all of these needs as well as routine daily concerns, and
because of their more specialized health focus, senior products and services
are typically priced well above the market average.

Data reveals
that 52% of dogs and cats in the US are obese. As long as this remains the
case, there will continue to be market potential for products aimed at helping
pets reach or maintain a healthy weight.

May 2020

In the May 2020 issue of Petfood Industry, discover which U.S. pet food companies were added to China's customs list, how AAFCO regulations are likely to change and what the pet food industry will look like after the COVID-19 pandemic.